Slashdot Mirror

I used to run Myth ~2 years ago, but got fed up with issues and linux in general (ok, so kill me slashdot). Then I switched to SageTV which was nice for a while.

IR control: At the time I used WinLirc to transmit IR to control my Dish network box and it worked pretty well. Needed a custom script to take SageTV's channel changing format and translate it to WinLirc's format, but worked after some tweaks. Not sure about motorola but don't see why it would be a problem with enough work - LIRC has a great resource for IR codes. [I was using a homebrew IR blaster... basically an IR diode and a resistor hanging off the DTR line of the serial port]

Built a new HTPC 2 months ago with Win XP for simplicity and netflix access. I tried both GB-PVR and MediaPortal. Mediaportal looks flashier, but the UI is much slower and lacks a few key features... which is why I went back to GB-PVR. I've been very happy. Very few crashes, but should probably setup a weekly reboot for insurance. Yeah it's not open source, but it's still free. There's a plugin for GBPVR which will let you launch Zinc for all your streaming content, including netflix. There's a FANTASTIC web interface, including the ability to stream any of your recordings (think Slingbox). There's a plugin to control uTorrent. And GBPVR can work directly with a media extender like Popcorn Hour, if you don't want to have another PC for another room. [Though you can build a whole mini PC for the other room for the same cost as a popcorn hour]

A friend of mine tried Windows 7's media center features and is very happy. His small daughters can run it, including playing back all of their DVD's that he has ripped to a server.

In the unlikely event that anyone is actually interested:

TUNER: I built the HTPC with a Hauppauge 1600 tuner card. Initially intending to get free ATSC over the air, I discovered I could get the same channels from my cable provider in clear QAM without needing the antenna. (Cable is for cable modem only). The digital side of the tuner can record more than 1 stream as long as it's on the same physical RF channel. Plus I can use the analog tuner simultaneously for standard-def recording. So I can record 2+ shows at once, from one card.

MOTHERBOARD: I put that in a mini itx case on an intel atom 330 mobo with s-video output and built in spdif audio (though I did have to make my own cable for the spdif). Svideo was useful until I got a better TV. Mobo only has VGA output, so that limited my HDTV selection slightly, but not bad. The whole thing (tuner, mobo, case, ram, HD) was http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813121359
review, explaining video capability at 1080p: http://www.mini-itx.com/reviews/atoms/default.asp?page=8

GUIDE DATA: setup was a pain (and a real learning curve about digital TV), but now that I got it all figured out I'm getting it for free using MC2XML.

Good DTV / QAM Channel references:

http://www.silicondust.com/hdhomerun/channels_us
http://www.antennaweb.org/aw/welcome.aspx
http://www.titantv.com/
http://www.fcc.gov/mb/engineering/maps/

And then there's MIRO .

Along with this article with step by step instructions for having Miro seek out via RSS the programs one is interested in, Torrenting them, and waiting for one to watch them. (FYI, the article leaves out one important step in setting up the RSS feeds, this is addressed in the comments.)

It's a damned poor video card and monitor/TV that can't connect via at least ONE port or another.

As Miro runs on just about anything, even an old 1Ghz G4 Mac, as long as it has a decent video card, can easily process and display "content" on a monitor or TV.

Stick a TV tuner card in an empty PCI slot, plug in an antenna of some sort, and with some more free software and the TitanTV website , and maybe an IR Blaster in one of the USB ports for your cable box if you have one, you have an over the air/cable DVR. (at least in the US.)

Hell, given how cheap halfway decent computers are these days via eBay and Craigslist, you can wind up easily spending more on video and tuner cards than for the actual computer itself.

TV as we have known it is dieing. The easier the media conglomerates make it for us to watch their products, the more likely we are to accept some commercials. Be dicks about whole thing, and we'll watch your stuff commercial free. And considering how easy it is to watch commercial free RIGHT NOW, I don't think there's a whole lot they CAN do to get us to watch their commercials under any circumstances.

I think they just may have begun to sharpen that razor that will cut their collective throats from ear to ear, and that razor will be wielded by their own hands.

It looks like I will soon be going from 8 analog television channels to 2 digital channels. I live in the mountains of Northern Arizona where our television signals go through a mountaintop repeater station. It repeats the signals from the TV stations which are about 100 miles away and retransmits them on different channels.

I looked up my television listings TitanTV.com a few minutes ago and entered my Zip code which is 86301. Then I asked for the digital broadcast listings for my area. I listed only two digital channels for the 86301 Zip code. They are KAZTDT and KCFGDT. Next, I asked for the analog broadcast listings for my area and received a list of 10 stations for my Zip code. None of the major networks such as ABC, CBS, NBC, UPN or PBS were on the list of digital channels. One the two digital channels has mostly old 1960s shows such as the Brady Bunch, the Andy Griffith show and I Love Lucy and the other station is not much better. I have line of sight reception to the old repeater station where the old analog channels come from. However, there are several large hills between me and the transmitters for the two digital channels, so I may not be able to get them at all.

But anyway, I went ahead and applied for my two TV converter box coupons a few minutes ago anyway and will soon see if I can receive anything. I don't want to start paying a monthly fee for for satellite or cable, so if I can't receive much of anything, I might just rent occasional DVDs instead. I could also start getting my most of my news from alternative sources on the Internet and radio instead.

TitanTV televison listings

Have you looked at what is available in your area online (such as http://www.titantv.com or www.tvfool.com)?

I blog about this, and other related stuff as I find it fascinating!
williambryson.blogspot.com

Good luck!

One option is Titan TV listings. They are free (add supported) via a Web interface and are designed to work with PVR devices.

Have you tried TitanTV?

I work for a television station, and we enter our PSIP information into ProximityTV, which I believe owns TitanTV. To access Proximity, you have to be an employee of a station, but I'm pretty sure it's only so we can enter the info. Anyone can create an account at http://www.titantv.com/ and enter a zip to get your local guide. I have a Hauppauge TV tuner in my pc at work (running Winblows) and I can schedule recordings through Titan. I'm not sure how we could get a data file from Titan to replace Zap2It's. Someone may need to write a program to strip out all the pertinent info that is displayed on a webpage when you enter a zip code and feed it into a file format just like Zap2It's. Create a cron job to run it as often as necesary and hopefully we would all be back in business. Hope this helps! sting

the xml spec is tvpi
3rd party dvrs can access it, or u can roll ur own;-)

http://www.titantv.com/quickguide/quickguide.aspx

Why not switch to using another service, such as titantv.com?

TitanTV gives me details.

Examples in L.A. area:

Alias
The Horizon (New) 12/14/2005 10:00 PM, 1 hr
Syd is reunited with Vaughn after being kidnapped and hypnotized by a familiar face, who has a vested interest in her future---and in her unborn child.
Cast & Credits: Jennifer Garner, Ron Rifkin, Victor Garber, Michael Vartan, Carl Lumbly
Drama/Action
TV14, English, 2005
HDTV - presented in 720p (Dolby Digital)

--

The Late Show with David Letterman
  (New) 12/14/2005 11:35 PM, 1 hr
Stephen Colbert; a holiday toy demonstration.
Talk/Other
TVPG, English, 2005
HDTV - presented in 1080i

TitanTV

My thoughts exactly. A quick check at TitanTV show that I would miss out on Young and the Restless, Joan of Arcadia, JAG, and The Handler today. Shucks.

As one of the 10 HDTV viewers, gimme my Monday Night Football, ESPNHD, and INHD, and I'll be just fine thanks.

I believe TitanTV works with Intervideo WinDVR and will even automatically record favorite programs you specify. It will likely work with ATI's MultiMedia Center as well.

See . Scroll down to 'What is a Personal Video Recorder (PVR)?'

TitanTV is free, btw.

I believe TitanTV works with Intervideo WinDVR and will even automatically record favorite programs you specify. It will likely work with ATI's MultiMedia Center as well.

See . Scroll down to 'What is a Personal Video Recorder (PVR)?'

TitanTV is free, btw.

www.TitanTV.com

To think, wireless HDTV! That would be like - like getting HDTV over the air! You would just need an antenna, maybe a fancy converter box. Who could think it possible? Wouldn't it be cool if they could do multiple channels at the same time? *sigh* Jeff

• Using a Silver Sensor indoor (on top of my entertainment center) directional UHF antenna ($23 on buy.com) I can pull in ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, FOX, WB and UPN digital broadcasts. If you like football, the CBS 1080i coverage of the playoffs was reason enough to own a HDTV! The ABC coverage of the Superbowl in 720p wasn't as good, but was still better than the Fox 480p playoff games. Each night there's a fair amount of prime time in HD on CBS, NBC and ABC. Also, PBS has some really nice HD stuff each week as well as some widescreen standard defintion in 480p.
• By the end of the year (assuming it's not vaporware) I should be able to get a HD Tivo with integrated DirecTV tuner (or one w/o if you don't use DirecTV- I do). DirecTV carries HDNet, HBO and Showtime in Hi-Def.
• In my area, Comcast is now offering Hi-Def as part of their digital cable package and my set will tune the non-premium channels w/o a box. They offer NBC, ABC, PBS, HBO and Showtime.
• My set has a Firewire interface that allows me to connect a digital VHS deck and record OTA and cable Hi-Def shows.
• Set to launch soon are additional HDNet channels, ESPN Hi-Def programming, Dave Letterman this fall and it seems like more gets announced each day.

2003 is a good year to go hi-def!

If you had read the links, you'd know that this box uses an external service, titanTV, for scheduling. SO perhaps you could check out titanTV for more information about what can be done.

I use one of my machines like a VCR, as it has a TV Tuner board in it and Cyberlink's PowerVCR. From anywhere, anytime, I can VNC in, and hit the TitanTV website, click on a show name, and it'll set to record...

BUT, my clock has to be perfect if I don't want to pad my recordings (i.e. to record two shows in succession)

My video box is running Win2k and I turned on the NTP service, as described by this PDF. Now as long as the TV station is running at the right time.... :-)

They mention HDTV in the article, but only in the context of HDTV output of a lo-res source. The DVD's are 480p at best. So, you can scale them up to 720p or 1080i, but it's not full HD.

Slap an HDTV PCI card in there, and get true 1080i (1920x1080) HDTV. They also HD PVR functions, and some even do DVD decoding & scaling in hardware.

Check out the MyHD Card, the HiPix, or the AccessDTV cards for options.

Unfortunately, none of these (that I know of) support Linux. The MyHD is the newest, and the HiPix has an open source effort to enhance their Windows software.

If you live in an area that has digital TV broadcasts (most major cities do), HDTV is the way to go.. there is a LOT of HD Programming available.

SnapStream 2.0 includes a tie-in to the guide at titantv.com, which includes links you can click to automatically set recording times/lengths.
It's out, I use it. The site also claims to provide dynamic links for Win-TV PVR, WinDVR, and PowerVCR II, although I've never tested them with it.

That said, for those of us in places like the San Francisco Bay Area, which has a large number of digital stations, DTV and HDTV are just lovely. On a clear day, my rooftop antenna picks up six or seven digital stations. The picture quality is stunning even on the standard definition stations, much crisper than the clearest cable channels and most DirecTV channels. And HD shows look better than the picture at the local movie theaters. The picture has yet to fail to elicit a "wow" when I've shown it to people.

And the cool thing is, it's on my computer using an ATSC tuner card which means I can record the digital signal to my hard disk for later viewing - not as slick as a TiVo, but adequate. (And before you ask why anyone would watch HDTV on a 17" monitor, the monitor on that PC is one of these, more or less, less expensive than a new HDTV if you buy it used.)

I do wish the prices would come down on more traditional HDTV sets and that they'd get the integration issues straightened out so a separate settop box wasn't required. Better market penetration will equal more incentive for the networks to produce more HD shows. But if you're willing to actually learn about what you're buying, the technology is out there and working.

WinTV-HD
They're still saying they will be releasing it, but the wintv-d came out last October!
Oh, pci bandwidth is not relevent. The HDTV-out is from the card, and all these kinds of cards use a technique called "vga overlay". The vga signal passes thru the card before going to a monitor.